Teens suspected in shooting of Officer Robert German left suicide notes, cops say

WET WEATHER COULD MEAN A SLIPPERYEN COMMUTE IN THE MORNING. BUT WE BEGIN WITH FALLEN OFFICER AND THE NEW INFORMATION WE HAVE UNCOVERED. GOOD EVENING EVERYONE. I'M ERIKA WASHINGTON. ROBERT GERMAN WAS WEARING A BODY CAMERA WHEN HE WAS SHOT AND KILLED EARLY SATURDAY MORNING AFTER STOPPING TWO TEENAGERS ALONG WINDERMERE ROAD. AS WE LEARN MORE, THE CAMERA WAS NOT ON POLICE SAY. LOCAL 6 CALIFORNIA IS IN WINDERMERE FOLLOWING ALL THE NEW DEVELOPMENTS. THIS COULD BE A BLOW FOR THE INVESTIGATION. YES, ERIK, VERY MUCH SO. THE WINDERMERE POLICE CHIEF TELLS MEES TH ME THERE WAS NO VIDEO ON THE BODY CAMERA. THAT MEANS THERE IS NO EVIDENCE ON THE BODY CAMERA FOR THIS INVESTIGATION. IT'S A HUGE SETBACK WHEN PEOPLE, FRIENDS IN THE COMMUNITY ARE LOOKING FOR ANSWERS. PLACE YOU UNDER ARREST. WEES KNOW THESE BODY CAMERAS HAVE THREE PARTS. CONTROLLER, WIRE, AND THE CAMERA. FITTED ON YOUR SUNGLASSES OR YOUR COLLAR. DAYTONA BEACH POLICE JUST LIKE WINDERMERE'S OFFICERS USE THE TECHNOLOGY TO GET EVIDENCE THAT THEY COULD NEVER GET BEFORE. BUT THAT'S NOT THE CASE IN OFFICER ROBERT GERMAN'S SHOOTING DEATH. WITHOUT THE BODY CAMERA FOOTAGE, THEY ARE TRACKING A TIMELINE OF EVENTS. HERE'S WHAT WE KNOW. AT 10, FRIDAY MORNING, 18-YEAR-OLD BRANDON GOODE AND HIS GIRLFRIEND, 17-YEAR-OLD ALEX WHO WILLINGHURST STOPPED IN THE WALGREENS PARKING LOT BY KISSIMMEE POLICE OFFICERS. THE OFFICER SAID HE SPOTTED THE SILVER ISUZU RODEO DRIVEN BY SUICIDAL TEENS. THE OFFICER APPROACHED THE CAR WITH HIS GUN DRAWN LOW ASKING WHERE THE TEENS ARE FROM. THE TWO SAID DAVENPORT. IN KISSIMMEE, TRYING TO SELL JEWELRY FOR CASH. THE OFFICER ASKED GOODE TO STEP OUT OF THE CAR. GOODE HIT THE GAS NEARLY RUNNING THE OFFICER OVER. THEIR CAR WAS FOUND THIS MORNING AT KISSIMMEE AT THIS BANK FIVE MINUTES DOWN THE ROAD. INVESTIGATORS STILL NEED TO FIGURE OUT HOW THEY GOT FROM KISSIMMEE TO WINDERMERE WHERE THEY WERE STOPPED BY OFFICER ROBERT GERMAN AT 4 SATURDAY MORNING. INVESTIGATORS SAY GERMAN STOPPED THE TWO WALKING DOWN CON ROY WINDERMERE ROAD. BY THE TIME BACKSUP OFFICERS ARRIVED, GERMAN WAS SHOT AND TWO TEENS FOUND DEAD DOWN THE ROAD FROM SELF-INFLICTED GUNSHOTS. THE CHIEF ALSO TOLD ME TODAY THAT SURVEILLANCE CAMERAS FROM THIS WALGREENS HERE ON THE CORNER OF WHERE THE INCIDENT HAPPENED ARE BEING REVIEWED BY INVESTIGATORS TO SEE IF THAT HAD ANY INFORMATION ON WHAT LED UP TO OFFICER GERMAN'S DEATH. GUYS, BACK TO YOU. SO MANY PEOPLE ARE WONDERING WHAT CAUSED THOSE TWO TEENS TO OPEN FIRE ON THE OFFICER. DID THAT NOTE THAT GOODE'S MOM FOUND SAY THE TWO PLANNED ON HARMING ANYBODY ELSE. NO. I CALLED TO POLK COUNTY INVESTIGATORS THAT SAY THAT NOTE DID NOT INDICATE THAT THE TEENS HAD A WEAPON. THAT THEY WERE MISSING AND IN DANGER. WE HOPE TO LEARN MORE TOMORROW MORNING. STILL NO ANSWERS TONIGHT. THANK YOU. AND THE NEW FUND HAS BEEN SET UP TO HELP OFFICER GERMAN'S FAMILY. THEY ARE TAKING DONATIONS AT ANY WELLS FARGO BANK UNDER THE ROBERT GERMAN MEMORIAL FUND. AFTER A VIEWING WEDNESDAY NIGHT, A FUNERAL WILL BE ON THURSDAY.

Deputies said 18-year-old Brandon Goode and 17-year-old Alexandria Hollinghurst, both of Davenport, were found dead in the bushes near Conroy/Windermere Road after the shooting. They were considered missing and endangered in Polk County and left behind suicide notes.

Deputies said they are considered suspects in German's death. Goode's car was discovered on Monday at Florida Bank Commerce on Vine Street and was towed, according to deputies. It's not clear how the couple got from Kissimmee to Windermere.

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According to the documents from Polk County Sheriff's Office, Goode was arrested on felony aggravated battery with a deadly weapon charges after threatening his mother with an ax in October 2012.

Goode's mother told deputies her son, wielding an ax, painted his face, covered the windows of the living room with blankets, and pinned her between a table and wall, according to arrest report.

Goode, with the ax resting on his shoulder, then demanded that she accept his father's offer in reference to a divorce settlement, deputies said.

Goode was also arrested on possession of marijuana, possession of alcohol by a person under 21 and possession of paraphernalia in February 2014. A 17-year-old girl was also arrested during the same incident, but she is not being identified by deputies, as Florida laws require confidentiality for juveniles with misdemeanor charges.

Local 6 also learned that Goode and Hollinghurst were confronted by Kissimmee police hours before the shooting at a Walgreens. An officer approached the couple to question them, but investigators say Goode sped off, prompting a judge to issue a warrant for his arrest.

Goode's father lives in Windermere, a few miles away from the shooting.

The Orange County Sheriff's Office investigation is ongoing into what events lead up to German, 31, being shot at 4:30 a.m. Saturday in the area of Conroy Windermere Road and Horizon Circle.

Deputies said German asked for officer backup and was shot after stopping to talk to a man and woman who were walking down the street. German was taken to Orlando Regional Medical Center by authorities, where he died.

Shortly after officers arrived on the scene they heard gunshots. They later found Goode and Hollinghurst dead. Their official cause of death will be determined by the medical examiner.

Funeral services for German have been arranged to be held at Northland Church at 530 Dog Track Road in Longwood. The visitation will be held Wednesday from 5 to 8 p.m.; the funeral service will be held Thursday at 10 a.m.

German will be buried at Oaklawn Cemetery at 5000 County Road 46A in Sanford. A reception will be held after the burial at Lake Mary Events Center at 260 Country Club Road in Lake Mary.

The services will be open to the public, and a live feed of the service can be seen on ClickOrlando.com and the church's website.

Those interested in making a donation to German's family can make them at any Wells Fargo bank worldwide to the Robert German Memorial Fund (Acct #1087891923).

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